Walking with Shepherds Walks

Alwinton to Rothbury - YouTube Film and pictures

To view pictures taken on this walk click here.

Heart of the Cheviots

Heart of the Cheviots – 21-06-09

Following an obligatory group shot and brief history of Wooler Common, we set off to discover the Heart of the Cheviots. The group were given one rule for the walk, to stop and look behind them!  Many fantastic views are missed by focussing on what’s ahead and certainly in this case, so much would be missed.  Stopping briefly we indeed looked behind us and through a V in the hills, Millfield Plain could be clearly seen, an area of geological and economic importance. Following the ice age the area was covered by a huge lake that eventually drained away leaving exposed vast areas of silt, sand and gravel that had been deposited over a long period of time. The sand and gravel have been extensively quarried and the fertile silt still yields heavy crops of grain. 

We continued along the well defined track before passing through a wicket gate onto the ominously named Hellpath. Fortunately this beautiful broom and wild flower lined track led to the valley bottom and not to Hell and we were treated to tremendous views of the steep-sided valley of the Carey Burn as we made our way down.  Upon reaching the valley bottom we took the opportunity to have a breather by the side of the Carey Burn.  We could have stayed there all day but the hills beckoned and we continued our journey towards the confluence of Broadstruthers Burn where it joins the Common Burn to flow on as the Carey Burn.  Thee Burns in one spot – absolutely magic!  On the far bank of Broadstruthers Burn is Luckenarks Wood which is one of the oldest semi-natural woodland in the National Park and contains Alder, Hazel, Birch, Rowan and Willow. 

Crossing moorland with tufts of cotton grass swaying in the gentle breeze we crossed the Common Burn and made our way across fields to Commonburn House and onto the metalled road which would eventually lead us back to the car park.  But not before a brief explanation was proffered on the practice of muir or heather burning which usually takes place in October or March.  It is illegal to burn heather between 15 April and 31 August and small patches of heather are burnt over a 15 year cycle to provide a good supply of young tender shoots for grouse and livestock to feed on.   The chequer board square patches on the hillsides are so characteristic of the Cheviots. 

Another characteristic of the Cheviots is The Trows – glacier meltwater channels that were carved out by water flowing beneath a blanket of ice 10,000 years ago. Although appearing inhospitable, 3,000 years ago Bronze Age farming communities worked this land and the remains of field systems and burial cairns are still visible on the moor.

This is one of my all time favourite walks with such variety that’s not normally seen during one walk, and I had the immense pleasure of sharing this experience with a delightful group.

You can view more pictures taken on this walk by clicking here.

• To find out more about the guided walks in Northumberland that are coming up please click here.

Midsummer Night walk

Guided walk date - 21/6/09

I approached this walk with mixed feelings. Firstly I was glad and happy that we had managed to get through this week and deliver (in my opinion) a very good Walking Festival, but I was also glad to be at the end of a very hard week.

We had 40 walkers for this the last walk of this the Rothbury Walking festival, so we split them into two groups, with both meeting up on the top to watch the sun go down (if weather permitted).

The weather had been wet all day so I was glad to be greeted with milky sunshine as both groups set off to climb up to the ‘carriageway drive’.

The amazing thing was that we did manage to converge on the top and both groups and even though it was a little bit hazy we could ‘kind of see’ the sun set over the Cheviot Hills.

We then all walked off as one big group descending via the West Hill Fort and as arrived back into Rothbury at 11.15.

It had been a fitting climax to what has been a superb week of walks.

Thanks to everybody who has come on all the walks, the support we have received is very much appreciated.

You can view more pictures taken on the walks by clicking here.

• To find out more about the guided walks in Northumberland that are coming up please click here.

 

Harbottle Archaeological Walk

Guided Walk date - 20/6/09

We arrived at the Forestry Commission car park and had a fantastic welcoming committee in the form of midges – and lots of them!  After sharing copious amounts of Avon’s Skin So Soft body oil spray (which our lads in the forces swear by) the little blighters were soon halted in their steps and we moved on to the moor where they were less abundant.  I promised the group that I would be less irritating than the midges but I think the jury’s still out on that one!   

The area around Harbottle moor is designated an area of SSSI (Sites of Scientific Special Interest) and there are 7 units covering a number of dwarf shrub land, water, woodland plantations and meadows.  There are over 4,000 areas of SSSI in England and they represent the country’s very best wildlife and geological sites.  The heather on the moor is made up of three types of heather:  ling, found on dry tussocks and the first to flower, cross leaved and bell heather which grows in the damp hollows at the side of tussocks.  Heather has been used as a remedy for many ailments including insomnia, gouty and rheumatic pain, stomach-ache, coughs and facial skins problems.  It also contains compounds that acts to constrict blood vessels, strengthen the heart, and mildly raise blood pressure, and it also stimulates the flow of bile and urine.  Amazing! In case you’re wondering it can be used fresh and dried.  It also has magical properties where if carried it can protect you against violent crime, bring good luck (especially if white), and has been used to conjure ghosts!!

Following a windy, uneven path we arrived at Moss’s cairn.  It is believed that the cairn was created by a local who’s pet dog, Moss, had passed away and was buried on the moor with a cairn to commemorate him.  The views are fantastic at this point, looking over the picturesque wooded Coquet valley.  Moving swiftly along we headed up hill towards the imposing Drake Stone where legend has it that sickly children passed over the stone would be cured and it has been associated with many mystical powers over the years.  The markings on the stone were created by an ice sheet in the last glaciation, scratching and polishing them.  Stopping at the Millstone quarry, the oldest recorded quarry in Northumberland, it was obvious where mill stones had been cut from the fell sandstone (by hand no less) and taken downhill by peat sledge to local water powered corn mills.  Evidence of trackways created by these sledges can still be seen in the heather.  Leaving the Drake Stone we headed downhill towards the glacial tarn of Harbottle Lough where we took the opportunity to ‘spread out in a bunch’ and have lunch among the heather.  However it was cut short by an unwelcomed shower and we headed for the trees for shelter.  Following the beautiful forest path which was precarious in places to say the least, we eventually appeared on the coal road with magnificent views over towards the hills above Alwinton.  By this time the sun decided to put his hat on as we wound our way down passing meadows with orchids, speedwell, eyebright, and buttercup, to name but a few.

Passing the 19C lime kilns at Low Alwinton, we followed the clear track eventually crossing the river Coquet over an iron bridge and into the pretty village of Harbottle.  It was raining pretty hard at this point and after saying our goodbyes one or two members of the group made their way, post haste back to the car park!

It was a lovely walk with a real mixed bag of weather, but everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. 

Thanks to Janice Henney from the Coquetdale Community Archeological Group for providing an excellent and informative insight into this fascinating area.

You can view more pictures taken on this walk by clicking here.

• To find out more about the guided walks in Northumberland that are coming up please click here.

 

Holystone

Guided Walk date - 19/6/09

What is this strange glow in the sky? It is sunshine! What a difference from earlier in the week when we checked out this walk in full waterproofs.

As we congregated at the starting point I knew it was going to be a good walk, the group was relaxed and really looking forward to getting out and enjoying this special walk.

We passed through the village of Holystone before heading up to Lady’s Well. This clear pool lies silent amongst a small grove of trees, protected by a fenced enclosure and well looked after by the National Trust. It is a very peaceful place today and it is difficult to imagine the crowds of pilgrims who must have come here in centuries past. It is sometimes called St. Paulinus' Well, for the Northern missionary baptised some 3,000 people here in AD 627. It was previously St. Ninian's Well, so the earlier Scottish evangelist must have passed this way too.

From the well we passed through some lovely ‘typically Northumbrian’ farmland before walking a short distance up the road and entering Harbottle Forest. After a steep climb we were ready for a well deserved lunch stop at Dove Crag. A beautiful spot worth hunting out.

After lunch we were soon out of the forest admiring the higher ground in front of us and the Simonside Hills away to our left. After a short journey we were back to the cars.

A truly great walk, which was made by the attendees who all ended as they had begun, with a smile on their faces.

• To find out more about the guided walks in Northumberland that are coming up please click here.

Harwood to Rothbury, along St Oswald's Way

Guided Walk date - 19/6/09

The blog for this walk will be arriving shortly.

Birds of Coquetdale

Guided Walk date - 18/6/09

Black clouds gathered ominously overhead at the start of our "Birds of Coquetdale" guided walk for the Rothbury Walking Festival.  As the wind started to blow our group headed off down the River Coquet.  As we came to our first stop, to look at a Sand Martin colony in the riverbank the first large spots of rain began to fall.  Everybody was able to see however heads of young Sand Martins poking out of their burrows waiting to be fed.  The adults swirled overhead as they caught insects to feed to their hungry offspring.

As a sharp shower passed overhead we headed on, although not before donning waterproof jackets.  As the rain eased we were able to identify the distinctive songs of Sedge Warbler and Willow Warbler and then Chaffinch and Reed Bunting. Wood Pigeons loafed about as we crossed fields, leaving our riverside path and Rothbury was beneath a spectacular double rainbow.  As we walked through the village of Newtown, Swallows zoomed about, hoovering up insects, and constantly pursued by their young, lacking their parent's long tail streamers.

It was time to get the glutes working as we walked up a steep hillside. Song Thrushes were the dominant species among the early-evening songsters, and we saw Blackbird and Meadow Pipit and the eagle-eyed amongst us picked up a distant Kestrel as it hovered over a meadow.  After a quick id lesson on how to separate Rooks and Carrion Crows, we continued on, stopping briefly to watch as a brightly coloured male Yellowhammer posed on a fence and even demonstrated its "little bit of bread and no cheeeeeese" song.

As we walked back down from Whitton Hillhead towards Rothbury a family party of no less than nine quite vocal Great Tits were spotted, Goldfinches were sitting on wires and trees and a group of Siskin could be heard up in the treetops.

To find out more about the Rothbury and Coquetdale Midsummer Walking Festival click here.

• To find out more about the guided walks in Northumberland that are coming up please click here.

Haymeadow Walk, Alwinton

Guided walk date - 19/6/09

We all met in Wedderleap car park in Alwinton with the sun shining bright and loud bangs coming from the ever present artilliary section.  After a sugar rush of jellie babies on offer, and a quick and friendly introduction from Shaun, we set out along the road towards Barrow Burn.  Almost immediately, we were introduced to cow parsley, aptly named for it's white parsley like shape, found mainly on the outskirts of fields.

We walked across the road and up a field, prior to Barrowburn Tea room where we saw cuckoo flowers (or Lady's smock as it's sometimes known) which Shaun told us, grows in moist grasslands.  A white butterfly flew by and we discovered white/green viened butterflies also love damp climate hence seeing it in this area.  Torment (a yellow buttercup type) was seen next and it is believed to be used to cure stomach ache.  Shaun told us that haymeadows are created and managed by the farmers, mostly in conjunction with the National Parks.  Aside from these plants being very pretty in the countryside, they also provide food, shelter and comfort to a number of insects, bugs and of course, bees.  Interestly, small heath butterflies, which are orange with a black dot on the tips of its' wings for camouflage works in that if they are attacked by birds, the birds go for the black spot, thinking it is the butterfly's head, which enables the butterfly to escape to live to fight another day!!! Clever butterfly (or mother nature).

We stopped to admire a wheatear bird which thrive in the tumbling walls and stony rivers in this area. He was posing on top of (you guessed it) a drystone wall.

We learnt that in longer grass grazed fields, different types of plants flourish depending on whether there is sheep or cattle grazing.  Interestly, sheep graze very wide areas and "munch" near to the ground.  Their feet are small and don't leave holes in the ground - few wild flowers grow in a field where sheep regularly graze, unlike cattle, which do not "munch" right to the ground, they are heavier animals which mean their feet sink into the ground, gouging and exposing the soil in land. This enables seeds to be dropped and spread into the soiled area and opportunities for plants to grow.

Further up the field, we encountered a white tail bee.  Shaun told us that it was due to the abundance of the white clover that bees particularly liked.  Other wild flowers we encountered included :
Bulbus, meadow and creeping buttercups, Dovesfoot cranevilles and red clover - really pretty!

We also discovered that prior to machinery used to cut back fields, when they were manually cut, which obviously took weeks to complete, the last field cut would have a much more diverse crop of wild flowers and grasses the following year due to the plants having longer to shed their seeds.  It was also interesting to note that clover with orange "blots" on the underside were eggs from the green pot belly beetle.

To find out more about the Rothbury and Coquetdale Midsummer Walking Festival click here.

Alwinton - Clennell Street

Guided Walk date - 18/6/09

Sundance was worried, was the old soft shoe shuffle worn out?  On route to Alwinton big black clouds blotted the horizon out, spots of rain on the windscreen.  First rain shower 9.00am, next rain shower 10.00 am, then at 10.30 a hint of rain and everybody deciding to put on their waterproofs. As we left Alwinton the sky did not look promising.

We followed Clennel Street for a short while before heading east for Clennel Hall and the Alwin Valley,  and found our first rocks of the day about rocks (boy was I a happy chappy!). 

We crossed the Alwin by a footbridge and started to walk along the forestry track towards Kidland Forest. By now the sun was out and we had to stop to remove the unneeded waterproofs as every one was starting to gently cooked.  By the time we reached Kidlandlee Dean it had turned out to be a pleasant but blustery day.  Although the climb up through the forest was steep (very) it made for pleasant walking with the sound of the wind in the tree tops. 

On exiting the trees we found the remains of the highest croquet lawn in England.  Kidlandlee used to be large hunting lodge which belonged to a Captain Leyland who apparently brought Leylandii into the country.  It also had an old school for the families who farmed in the Kidland area.  By now the breeze had turned into a strong wind although it was still pleasantly warm.  Tummies were complaining about the lack of food so lunch stop was in a small quarry which gave shelter from the wind but was a bit hard on the bum.  It only took a short time before we were once more walking along Clennell Street but this time downwards.

At Wholehope we spent several minutes tadpole, newt and frog spotting.  This stretch of Clennell Street offers some fine views, we could even see the sea near Alcan’s power station and looking south west Crossfell whilst looking northwards Cushat Law, Bloodybush and Windy Gyle could be seen.  We even stopped to take some photos of sheep!!  Looking westwards the clouds were beginning to build up and turn dark, would our luck hold?  We continued the descent into Alwinton passing our previous turn off point and within a few minutes were back at the cars. 

YES Sundance had done it again another dry walk, it did start to rain after we had got in to the cars and were leaving Alwinton.

To find out more about the Rothbury and Coquetdale Midsummer Walking Festival click here.

• To find out more about the guided walks in Northumberland that are coming up please click here.

Simonside Hills

Guided walk date – 17/6/09

The day had been wet, wet and wet. But at around 5.00 the rain clouds cleared and the sun came out. Shocked was an understatement.

As we met at the Forestry Commission Picnic area I think everybody had the same shocked, but joyous look and could not believe the turn around in the weather.

After a short transfer up to Lordernshaws we started a steady climb up onto the Simonside Ridge, but we had a special treat on the way. Doug who was helping on the walk led us all to the ‘holey’ stone, or ‘the Beacon Solar Observatory’ as it should be correctly named. This site consists of a rough circle of stones with the central one holed in the middle. This hole is 500mm wide and is exactly aligned on the setting sun over Yanspeth Law, some 22km away in the Cheviots, on the Summer Solstice. On the Winter Solstice it is also aligned as the sun sets over Tynemouth.

If this great finding was not enough we climbed up and followed the ridge over Beacon Hill, Dove Crag and finally Simonside. The wind was stiff, but it certainly could not take away what a superb evening it was.

We dropped down steeply from the Simonside Crags and followed the forest track before dropping back through the forest.

The group where perfect. All very relaxed and gelled from the start.

A superb way to finish off the 5th day of the Routhbury and Coquetdale walking festival.

You can view more pictures taken on this walk by clicking here.